US3026637A - Improvements in shoes with vulcanized soles - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1962 H. BINDER ETAL 3,026,637

IMPROVEMENTS 1N SHOES WITH VULCNIZED SOLES Filed Dec. 29, 1959 Figi United States atent 3,026,637 IMPROVEMENTS IN WITH VULCANIZED L Hermann Binder, Tuttlingen, and Egon Friedrich, Wurmlingen, Kreis Tuttlingen, Germany, assignors to Rieker & Co., Tuttlingen, Wurttemberg, Germany, a firm Filed Dec. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 862,644 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 17, 1959 1 Claim. (Cl. 36--14) The present invention relates to improvements in the production of articles of footwear, and more particularly to improvements in shoes of the type having a vulcanized sole. For example, a shoe of this type is disclosed in our copending application Serial No. 862,710, filed December 29, 1959.

An important object of the invention is to provide a shoe with a vulcanized sole which is constructed and assembled in such a way that the sole is safely secured to the layers in contact therewith, particularly in that zone which is subjected to maximum stresses when the shoe is in actual use.

An essential requirement in the production of shoes with vulcanized soles, i.e. outsoles or intermediate soles, is that the vulcanized material should rmly adhere to the parts in contact therewith, and particularly that the edge portion of the vulcanized sole should not become loose in actual use of the shoe. It was already proposed to -apply to the edge portion of the shoe upper a welt of chrome leather to which the outsole or the intermediate sole is vulcanized in the usual way. However, a fullsized welt adds to the cost of the shoe and necessitates the expenditure of more time in the manufacture of such articles of footwear.

Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide a shoe with a vulcanized outsole or intermediate sole but without a welt in which the connection between the vulcanized sole and the layers in contact therewith is as satisfactory as if the shoe were provided with a fullsized welt.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provision of a shoe which embodies a so-called toe plate secured to the insole and to the inwardly deected edge portion of the shoe upper beneath the toe receiving space of the shoe, this toe plate having an edge portion projecting beyond the outlines of the front portion of the `shoe upper and formed with a plurality of spaced perforations in its edge portion for reception of the vulcanized material so as to insure proper adherence of the vulcanized sole to the toe plate. Similar perforations are provided in the rear portion of the insole so that the vulcanized :sole is caused to adhere strongly to and cannot be separated from the exposed portion of the underside of the insole. The material of the vulcanized sole which is received in the perforations of the toe plate insures satisfactory connection of the sole in that zone of the shoe which is subjected to maximum stresses and, in addition, the projecting edge portion of the toe plate improves the appearance of the shoe because the latter seems to have a Welt about its front portion.

The toe plate consists of chrome leather or a suitable synthetic plastic material.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, -both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

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3,026,637 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 ice FIG. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of an article of footwear embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section through the article of footwear as seen in the direction of arrows from the line B-B of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken along the line A--A of FIG. l, as seen in the direction of arrows.

Referring now in greater detail to the illustrated ernbodiment, there is shown an article of footwear in the form of a shoe comprising an upper which includes an outer layer or vamp l and an inner layer or lining 2, the edge portion 3 of this upper 1, 2 being deflected downwardly beneath and connected to the edge portion of the insole 4, as by chain stitching 5, known as McKay stitching, which may be replaced by tacks or by a suitable The front portion of the insole 4 which is located beneath the front portion of the shoe upper 1, 2 and which defines with the latter a toe receiving space is connected to a toe plate 7 whose edge portion projects beyond the outlines of the front portion of the upper 1, 2 as is shown in FIGS. l and 2. The toe plate 7 consists of chrome leather or of a synthetic plastic material. FIG. 2 shows that the toe plate 7 is connected to the insole i and to the inwardly deflected edge portion 3 of the upper 1, 2 by means of stitches S which extend through each of the four layers 1, 2, 4 and 7.

The outwardly projecting edge portion of the toe plate 7 is formed with a .series of spaced perforations 9, and similar perforations 1d are provided in the rear portion of the insole 4, i.e. rearwardly of the toe plate. These perforations 9 and `10 receive and are 'filled with the material of the sole 6 which is vulcanized to the toe plate 7 and to the rear portion of the insole 4 so that the material of the sole `6 filling the perforations 9, 10 insures proper adherence of the sole to the remaining components of the shoe.

It will be seen that the improved shoe does not embody a welt but comprises only a comparatively small toe plate 7 this brings about considerable savings in material as well as savings in man hours because the fastening of a full-sized welt requires more time and work than the fastening of a comparatively small toe plate. Furthermore, the provision of perforations 9, lit insures a safe connection of various layers in that part of an article of footwear which is subjected to maximum stresses in actual use.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specic aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claim.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

ln an article of footwear, in combination, an insole having a front portion and an underside; an upper having an edge portion overlapping and extending along the underside of said insole; a toe plate adjacent to the underside and extending along the front portion of said insole, said toe plate having an edge portion extending beyond the outlines of said upper and formed with perforations in said edge portion thereof; stitch means provided inwardly of the edge portion of the toe plate for connecting said toe plate to said insole and to the edge portion of said upper; and a sole of vulcanizable material connected to said insole and to said toe plate, the material of said sole filling the perforations of said toe plate to prevent separation of the sole from the edge portion of the toe plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sorensen Feb. 16, 1926 Gilkerson May 26, 1931 Game Aug. 15, 1933 Vicente Nov. 28, 1933 Smith Mar. 18, 1941 Stritter July 25, 1944 Morein June 17, 1947

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